Kooyoora Fred Halls 4 Bushgamesmanship Michael Griffin 9 Plant Life in the Grampians J
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Vol. 11, 1971 30 c Terms and Conditions of Use Copies of Walk magazine are made available under Creative Commons - Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike copyright. Use of the magazine. You are free: • To Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work • To Remix — to adapt the work Under the following conditions (unless you receive prior written authorisation from Melbourne Bushwalkers Inc.): • Attribution — You must attribute the work (but not in any way that suggests that Melbourne Bushwalkers Inc. endorses you or your use of the work). • Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes. • Share Alike — If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. Disclaimer of Warranties and Limitations on Liability. Melbourne Bushwalkers Inc. makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any content of this work. Melbourne Bushwalkers Inc. disclaims any warranty for the content, and will not be liable for any damage or loss resulting from the use of any content. THE only Bushwalking Specialists • Paddymade Equipment Rucksacks Sleeping Bags Blacks' Tents Stubai Rock Climbing Gear Dehydrated Food Stoves Hire of Tents, Sleeping Bags and Rucksacks Discount to Members of Recognised W a Iking Clubs • l THE LEADING SKI and BUSHWALKING CENTRE 9 HARDWARE STREET, MELBOURNE, 3000 Phone: 67-1412 - 67-1767 Vol. ll, 1971 WALK Editor: Robyn Pocock. Advertising: Doug. Pocock. Distribution: Rex Filson. All enquiries to: Melbourne Bushwalkers, Box 1751Q, G.P.O., Melbourne, 3001. WALK is a voluntary, non-profit venture published by the Melbourne Bushwalkers in the interests of bushwalking as a healthy and enjoyable recreation. WALK Vol. 22, 1971 CONTENTS Editorial 3 Kooyoora Fred Halls 4 Bushgamesmanship Michael Griffin 9 Plant Life in the Grampians J. H. Willis 13 Camera varia lvor Davies 19 The Cherry Tree Range Athol Schafer 25 Mount Eccles National Park Graham Errey 26 The Mount Arapiles Area Athol Schafer 29 Tasmania's Wilderness Jon Cairns 33 Obituary ... 41 An Army Bushwalk Geoff Kenafacke 43 Mountain Muster 46 Books for Bushwalkers 49 The State of Mapping Barry Short 53 WALKS SECTION Allenvale- Cumberland Track - Mount Cowley -Won Wondah Falls (2 days) .... ... 55 Aire Valley - Wild Dog Creek - Skenes Creek - Kennett River (2 days) . 56 The Bluff (2 days) 58 Halls Gap - Mount William Track - Boronia Peak - Lake Bell- field - Halls Gap (I day) 62 Halls Gap - Clematis Falls - Chatauqua Peak - Bullaces Glen- Mount Difficult Lookout - Stony Creek - Halls Gap (I day) . 62 Four One-Day Walks in the Mount Cole State Forest 65 The Big Hill - Hunchback Creek - Yarra Glen (I day) . 69 Trawool - Meadows Hill - Breech Peak - Tallarook (1 day) 69 Kilmore East - Broadhurst Creek - Monument Tower - Kilmore -Kilmore East (1 day) 70 Bullarto - Bullarto Reservoir - Babbingtons Hill - Lyonville Mineral Spring - Little Hampton - Trentham Falls - Tren- tham (1 day) ... 71 Cockatoo - Mount Majestic - Toomuc Valley - Pakenham (1 day) 71 Toolangi - Pauls Range - Schoolhouse Ridge (1 day) 72 MELBOURNE BUSHWALKERS always welcome visitors on their walks which include easy one-day excursions and week-end trips. Extended walking tours of three days or more are also included on the programme. If you are interested, then call in any Wednesday night, from 8 to 10.30 p.m., to the clubroom, Hosier Lane, Melbourne (at the rear of the Forum Theatre). Details may be obtained by writing to the Hon. Secre tary, Box 175/Q, G.P.O ., Melbourne 3001, or by phoning 97 3724. 2 EDITORIAL Over recent months there has been a great upsurge in bushwalking activity in this Club. It would appear to us that the growing interest in this self-reliant activity is a rejection of the trends of our society with its mass spectator entertainment, its crowded living and its increasing pollution. We believe it is necessary to maintain large areas of our bushland in its natural state to allow people to escape from the city environment. This leads us to ask- why should there be a road over the Baw Baw Plateau? There are not many alpine areas remaining in their un spoilt state, Jet us preserve what we have left. By all means let there be access roads of good quality but they should not be the dominating feature of the area. Let the Government Departments concerned take note from the Mount Skene Road, where just two months after its opening the lookout points were carpeted with cans, glass and other rubbish expelled from cars. Certainly roads allow all sections of the community access to scenic areas, but unfortunately all too often the result is a trail of rubbish which spoils the countryside for those who follow. Not only do roads and so called development give rise to aesthetic pollution but also they have a great detrimental effect on the flora and fauna of an area. Twelve months ago the conservation battle was the Little Desert. This year it is the Baw Baws. Where will it be next year? How long will it be until we have areas of our State preserved for all time for all people to enjoy in its unspoilt beauty? 3 KOOYOORA By Fred. Halls The Kulin Nation was a group of central Victorian aboriginal tribes whose country extended from The Otways and Avoca River in the west, to the Kelly Country and Cape Liptrap in the east. According to the legends of the Kulin people, during the Alcher ingas' time the fabled Mindi, or Bunyip Snake, was a monstrous man eater at least ten miles long. All sorts of epidemics were caused by this repulsive reptile who had a most offensive smell, which fortunately warned tribesmen of its presence, for to see the Mindi was to die. It was believed to have a huge maned head and whenever it hissed it thrust out a three pointed tongue. The Mindi's territory was centred about a large granitic hill "Bukkerbunyel" situated some fourteen miles north-west of Wedder burn; while "Neel-kunnung" a nearby creek, was a place where it quenched its thirst. The Jajawurong Tribe, a Loddon people of the Kulin Nation, con sidered that the Mallee scrubs of the north-west section of their terri tory was the Mindi's country. Fear of the legendary terrible Mindi Snake and of the presence of the dreaded Mindi Scales probably caused the Kulins to avoid the Bukkerbunyel-Wedderburn region. These Mindi Scales, white flakes spread all over the hard red earth, were believed to be the result of the dreadful disease, smallpox, a punishment inflicted for tribal transgressions by Mindi at the bidding of the great All-Father, Bunyel The Eaglehawk. One translation of the mountain name Bukkerbunyel is considered to be "den of the Bunjil Snake". A large area around Mindi's mound was hard red earth covered with a substance similar to hail - these were the fabled Mindi Scales. Were they the sulphate of lime nodules so com mon in the Mallee scrubs or quartz chips scattered over hard red soil? The Bunyip Snake had the assistance of numerous little Mindis to help it punish erring tribesmen. It never acted of its own accord, but only to punish at the bidding of its great Master Bunyel. Nobody could escape the monster except the family group known as the Munnie Brum Brum who roamed the Mindi's country with impunity. All other people of the Jajawurong Tribe fled in the utmost haste from the dreaded Bun yip Snake. There seems to be evidence of some past aboriginal presence thirty miles south of Bukkerbunyel. During a recent ramble through the ranges south of Melville Caves I accidentally stumbled upon what may have originally been an aboriginal rock well, situated on a flat granite ridge above the orchards of Rheola, within sight of a huge balancing rock. The well, which is roughly oval in shape, measures five feet by four feet and is at least three feet deep, contains a good supply of water even during the heat of midsummer. Midway between Wedderburn and Inglewood the highest point on a range to the right has an unbroken granite slab facing north; this is Kooyoora, Mountain of Light. Among the mammoth lichen-covered boulders the most spectacular of all rock shelters in the Melville Caves region are to be found on the western spur of this mountain. Below the basilisk stare of a huge 4 Mount Kooyoora. Photo by E. Lawton. reptile turned into stone during the Dreamtime, boulders larger than any house are piled high on the slopes forming huge cavities and crevices. Names of some of the strange rock formations in the Kooyoora region are indicative of the weird effect of weathering among the outcrops Seal Rock, The Rocking Stone, Camel Rock, The Windows, Mushroom Rock and The Toast Rack. Early in October the summit of Kooyoora- and many of the nearby hills as well- appears to be a green and gold rockstrewn natural park. The grass seems neatly clipped, with ornamental golden shrubs of Wallowa dotted here and there in the most suitable positions. Nature has excelled with various landscaping effects. Another feature is the steep smooth wall of Kooyoora's north face which is quite a tough climb without the help of proper rock climbing equipment. It is not the steepness that deters, but the icy smoothness of its unbroken granite surface quite often covered by a thin film of slime. A tiny spring of clear water issues from the foot of a reddish boulder, bubbles through a peaceful glade of ancient red gums and tender green rock ferns before disappearing shortly into a dry creek bed.